Did you know there are many career options for trained and certified personal stylists other than simply owning a personal stylist business? It's true! The skills you learned in your online personal stylist courseĀ or at fashion school can help you pursue different roles in the fashion industry and create more opportunities for work.
Whether you are a newly certified personal stylistĀ who's not sure you want to become a business owner, or you've already started your personal stylist business but are looking for ways to boost your income, there are some great opportunities available to you. So before you throw in the towel because business is slow or change direction because you don't feel business-minded, here are some alternative career options that you might want to consider.
Retail Personal Stylist
Clothing retailers and department stores have realized that offering personal styling services can be a huge boost to their business. More and more department stores, such as Nordstrom, Macy's, andĀ Saks, to name a few, actually offer in-store personal styling to their customers. Their stylists are not sales associates, they are trained personal stylists whose role is to offer body shape analysis and color analysis services to customers and to help them find the perfect clothing options. It's a great way to use your personal styling skills and do what you love while getting a regular paycheck and even making commissions on the clothes your customers buy.
Personal Shopper
There are several different opportunities to work as a personal shopper. You could start your own personal shopping service, work at a department store, or even work with high-end hotels shopping for guests. Many department stores offer personal shopping a service that customers can pay for or as a complimentary service to their exclusive clientele. More and more hotels offer personal shopping as part of their concierge services to high-end guests. In most of these roles, you'll be paid by the store or hotel, and there may be the opportunity to earn additional commission.
Fashion Buyer
Fashion buyers are the people responsible for selecting and purchasing clothes for retail stores, boutiques, and online stores. This role is crucial in determining which products will be available to consumers, directly impacting the store's profitability and brand image. Fashion buyers are required to have a strong knowledge of fashion trends and how the fashion industry works along with consumer preferences, making it an ideal role for trained personal stylists. Having a keen eye for style and knowledge of fashion styles, fabrics, and colors, as personal stylists do, make them a great fit for the fashion buyer role.
Visual Merchandiser
Ever wondered who creates the stunning window displays in your favorite clothing stores and who creates the in-store outfit displays? That's the role of a visual merchandiser, another great career option for personal stylists who want the benefit of a regular income while they build their styling business. Outfit curation is one of the key skills that personal stylists learn, and it's a skill that can be applied to creating window displays and optimizing the layout of clothing in-store to attract consumers to them.
Brand Ambassador/ Influencer
If you're already spending a lot of time on social media then why not get paid for it? I'm sure you're showing off your skills on InstagramĀ or TikTok as a strategy to grow your business and attract new clients but why not think about social media actually being your business and seeking out paid promotions or becoming a brand ambassador? There are many brand ambassador and influencer programs that you can apply for so do some research and see which may work for you.
Fashion Stylist
A fashion stylist shares many of the same skills as a personal stylist but instead of working 1:1 with personal clients, they primarily work with photographers, media editors, and fashion designers. Personal stylists can put their knowledge and skills to use in a variety of ways for magazine layouts, video shoots, and even runway shows at Fashion Week. The route to becoming a fashion stylist is about making connections and you'll most likely have to start as an intern or fashion stylist assistant, but you have all the skills as a personal stylist that will allow you to transition into the role as a fashion stylist with ease.
Color Analyst
With the recent resurgence of seasonal color analysis thanks to social media, personal stylists are taking their color analysis training and building a business solely around color. If you received seasonal color analysis training as part of your personal styling certification or training then being a color analyst could be a good career option for you, especially if that's where your true passion lies. Grab your color drapes and start promoting your skills and services on social media to capitalize on the current popularity of seasonal color analysis.
Fashion Writer
If you have good writing skills then why not combine them with your skills and knowledge of fashion and style? Both online and in-print publications hire personal stylists and other image professionals to write posts and educate their readers on all things fashion and style. Some publications will pay for guest posts and contributors and others will actually hire full-time writers and editors with fashion training. If you don't feel your writing skills are at the level of being a staff writer, then why not start writing your own blog and monetizing it through advertising and sponsored posts?
Fashion Podcaster
Let's face it, podcasts are popular right now! Whatever the topic you can be guaranteed that there's a podcastĀ that talks about it! Fashion and style podcasts are very popular and can easily be monetized through brand promotions and advertising. Combine your expertise as a personal stylist with your gift of the gab and create some extra income or even a whole new career.
Public Speaker
If you like speaking in public and sharing your expertise then this could be a perfect career option for you. There are many opportunities for personal stylists to share their knowledge at events and engagements. Companies hire image professionals to speak to their employees about personal branding, schools and colleges will hire speakers to help their students learn the importance of dressing professionally for interviews and career advancement, and groups and organizations have speakers at their member events. I've personally spoken several times at legal conferences about the importance of image in the courtroom and at entrepreneur networking events to help entrepreneurs find their personal brand. The list of public speaking opportunities is endless for trained and certified personal stylists.
Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list of career options for personal stylists, and there are so many ways in which you can earn more from the skills and knowledge that you have. So, if you're not ready to start a personal stylist business or are looking for ways to make more money just remember that the opportunities are there for you and the world needs your talent!
Happy Styling!
Louisa š
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